• As on every Erev Yom Tov, it is proper to take a haircut (if one’s hair is overgrown) on this day.^[1]
• It is proper to cut one’s nails on this day.^[2]
• It is proper for men to immerse in the Mikvah on this day as the Jews did before they received the Torah.^[3]

• It is customary in many communities to decorate the synagogues and homes with greenery and flowers to commemorate the joy of Receiving the Torah at which time Mount Sinai was covered with foliage and greenery.^[5]
• In addition, it is customary in many communities to put trees in the synagogues and homes. This reminds us that we are judged regarding fruits of the tree on this holiday and that we must pray for blessing in this regard.^[6] Some say that this custom should not be followed as it is reminiscent of a holiday of a different religion.^[7]
• Flowers are not considered muktzah as they have been designated for decorative use. One may not, however, put them into water on Yom Tov as this may cause them to open. This may be considered akin to planting. One may, however, add water to the water that is already in the vase. On Shabbat, one may not add water.^[8]

• One should remember to provide the necessities of the holidays for those in need. Sufficient support should be provided so that the poor have enough to make Yom Tov in a comfortable and enjoyable manner. This is especially important regarding the holiday of Shavuot, which is only two days long and whose needs may therefore be overlooked. This Mitzvah benefits both the giver and the recipient.^[9]
• Maimonides writes: “When a person eats and drinks [in celebration of a holiday], he is obligated to feed converts, orphans, widows, and others who are destitute and poor. In contrast, a person who locks the gates of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his children and his wife, without feeding the poor and the embittered is [not indulging in] rejoicing associated with a mitzvah, but rather [is indulging in] the rejoicing of his belly.”^[10]
• It is especially important to provide for Torah scholars and other righteous poor people who refrain from asking for help.^[11]

• Shavuot is the (birthday^[20] and) Yahrtzeit of King David.^[21]
• Shavuot is also the Yahrtzeit of the Ba’al Shem Tov. He passed away on Wednesday, the first day of Shavuot 5520 (1760), and is interred in Mezhibuzh.^[22]
• For this reason, the Chabad Rebbes would tell stories of the Baal Shem Tov on Shavuot.^[23]
• Whoever ponders the attitude of Tosafot (Shabbat 89a D.H. Torah) regarding Shavuot will understand that this festival is an auspicious time on high. On this day G-d confounds the “supernal accuser” of Israel (Satan), similar to His confounding the accuser during Shofar-sounding on Rosh Hashana and on the holy day of the Fast of Yom Kippur.^[24]
• Shavuot is an opportune time to achieve everything in improving Torah-study and avoda (service of G-d) marked by fear (awe) of G-d, and also to strive in teshuva (repentance) concerning Torah-study, without interference by the accusing Satan, again just like the time of Shofar-sounding on Rosh Hashana and the holy day of the Fast of Yom Kippur.^[25]
• Regarding the holiday of Shavuot, all opinions agree that one must celebrate with food and drink, and it isn’t sufficient to only study and pray.^[26] This is to show that we are delighted that we received the Torah.^[27]
• It seems from the Talmud that the weather of the following year can be predicted based on the weather of Shavuot.^[28]
• There was a custom to begin the formal education of Jewish boys (cheder) on Shavuot. There was usually an accompanying ceremony which involved eating cake and eggs that had verses of the Torah written on them.^[29]
• There was also a custom to dedicate new Sifrei Torah on the holiday of Shavuot.^[30]

• The evening service begins with Shir Hama’alot (page 161 in the new Chabad Siddur) and includes the Holiday Amidah (page 331).
• One should not pray the evening service until after the stars emerge in order that the 50 days of the counting of the Omer should be considered “complete.”[31]
• One should insert the paragraph of vatodieinu in the Amidah. This serves as a havdalah between the Shabbat and the holiday.
• One must wait until after Shabbat ends to light the Yom Tov candles. One should only use a pre-existing flame and when lighting one should be careful not to wave out the match but rather to put it down and allow it go out by itself.
• Before lighting, one should say, “Baruch hamavdil bein kodesh lekodesh” (Blessed is the one who separates between the holy and the holy) in order to make a verbal havdalah before doing work which is forbidden on Shabbat.
• The blessings on the candles are: Lehadlik ner shel Yom Tov and She’hechiyanu.
• This Kiddush includes the Havdalah and the blessing on the candles. The order (as printed in the Siddur) is: the blessing on the wine, the kiddush, the blessing on the candle, the blessing of Havdalah, and the blessing of Shehechiyanu. If one changed the order, he has still fulfilled his obligation.[32]
• After saying the bracha of Borei Me’orei Ha’Esh, the Chabad custom is to look at the candles without putting them together[33] but not to examine one’s fingernails. The same is true whenever Kiddush and Havdalah are joined – when Motzei Shabbat coincides with Yom Tov.
• Grace after Meals includes Ya’aleh Veyavoh (pg. 92) and the Harachamanrecited on a Yom Tov (pg. 95).

• It is customary for men to remain awake and study Torah during the entire first night of Shavuot.^[34] This is to rectify the mistake of the Jews who overslept on the day of the receiving of the Torah,^[35] and to help us prepare to receive the Fiftieth Gate of Understanding on the day of Shavuot.^[36]
• Although the Jewish people have “corrected” this mistake many times over, we must do this every year since we should re-experience the giving of the Torah each year, and we should prepare for this by studying rather than by sleeping.^[37]
• The Arizal said that whoever does not sleep at all on this night but rather studies Torah is assured to live out that year and no harm will befall him.^[38]
• The Mitteler Rebbe (the second Rebbe of Chabad) said that one who remains awake all night on Shavuot (and studies Torah) is assured to merit the KeterTorah (the crown of Torah).^[39]
• The Arizal established a certain text to be studied on this night. It includes sections of the Tanach, Mishnah, Zohar, as well as the 613 Mitzvot. The text is known as the “Tikkun Leil Shavuot” (Tikkun means rectification).  Even Torah scholars should say this text on this night.^[40]
• If one cannot say the entire Tikkun, one should at least say the part that includes sections of the Tanach.^[41]
• When saying the 613 mitzvot, one should intend to fulfill all of the mitzvot in the realm of speech.^[42]
• One who did not complete the Tikkun at night should do so the next day.^[43]
• Women do not need to say Tikkun. If a woman counted the Omer, some say it is proper for her to say the part of the Tikkun which includes the Tanach (bible).^[44] (Certainly, a woman who stays up and studies Torah will be blessed by Hashem.)
• Some are not particular to recite the Tikkun. Instead, they study other parts of the Oral Torah.^[45]If the community is reciting the Tikkun one should not separate himself and learn other things.^[46]
• In shuls where refreshments are provided one should be careful not to eat or drink dairy products if they ate meat within the previous six hours. In addition, one should make sure to refrain from eating after dawn.
• It is proper for men to go to the Mikvah before dawn in order to prepare themselves to receive the holy revelations of this day.^[47] One should immerse four times.^[48]
• According to the Arizal, one who stayed up the entire night may recite all of the morning blessings as usual despite the fact that he has not slept.^[49] This is the Chabad custom.^[50] One should go to the bathroom before washing the hands and reciting the blessing “al netilat Yadayim.”^[51]
• Some say that one should not say the blessings on the Torah oneself but should rather hear them being recited by someone else and respond “Amen.” One who took a long nap on Erev Shavuot may certainly say these blessings in the morning. Alternatively, one may also have in mind when saying the blessing of Ahavat Olam (or Ahava Rabba) before the Shema of Shacharit that it should “count” as a blessing on the Torah. In this case, one should study some Torah immediately after the Amidah.^[52]
• Some say that the blessing of “Elokai Neshama” and “Hama’avir Sheina” should similarly be heard from someone else.^[53]
• If one wishes to continue studying Torah after dawn, one should first recite (or hear) the blessings of the Torah (as above).^[54]

• If one stayed up the entire night and is afraid that he may be unable to concentrate on his prayers, it is better that he nap for a few hours before praying.^[55]
• In such a case, one should recite the morning Shema before going to sleep.
• Many communities recite Akdamot at the beginning of the Torah reading of this day. This is a beautiful poem in Aramaic about the giving of the Torah. There is a disagreement as to whether it should be read before the blessing over the first Aliyah or after reading the first verse of that Aliyah. The preferred custom is to say it before the blessing on the Torah.^[56]
• Although Akdamot are printed in the Chabad Siddur, it is not the Chabad custom to recite them.^[57] It is said that the Rebbe would recite them privately.

• The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged every Jewish man and woman to be present for the reading of the Ten Commandments. Parents should bring their children. Even babies (above the age of 30 days^[58]) should be brought (health permitting).^[59]
• This is based on the Midrash^[60] that says that nowadays when we read the Ten Commandments on Shavuot, it is as if we are receiving the Ten Commandments again directly from  G-d.^[61]
• It is customary in many communities (including Chabad) to stand during the reading of the Ten Commandments while facing the Sefer Torah.^[62] The Sefardic custom is to remain seated.^[63]

1. After the giving of the Torah at Sinai, the Jewish people did not have kosher vessels or kosher meat, so instead of taking the time to slaughter and salt the meat etc., they ate a dairy meal.^[67]
2. The two breads that one has with the two meals (the original custom was to eat dairy and meat meal within a meal of bread, see note 66) is reminiscent of the two loaves that were part of the Shavuot sacrifice.^[68]
3. Milk represents purity. Milk is produced by the body from blood, and blood is associated with the impurity of Niddah (the blood of the menstrual cycle). Thus, consuming dairy represents the Jewish people being purified from the tuma(impurities) of Egypt.^[69]
4. The whiteness of milk represents G-d’s pure loving kindness. The Torah was given to us out of G-d’s boundless kindness.^[70]
5. One of the six names of the Mount Sinai is Gavnunim^[71] which is similar to the word gevinah (cheese).^[72]
6. Since milk comes from a living animal, it was actually not kosher until the giving of the Torah as it was considered eiver min hachai (part of a living animal). Since the laws of eiver min hachai are part of the Noahide code, the Jewish people were not allowed to consume milk at that time. It was permitted by the Torah which praises the land of Israel as the land of milk and honey.^[73]We commemorate this by eating dairy on this day.^[74]

• In addition to the dairy meal, one should eat a meat meal on Shavuot day as one does on every Yom Tov.^[75]
• The best way to accomplish both of these concepts is to first eat a dairy meal (or kiddush), recite the grace after meals,^[76] wait a half hour or an hour^[77] and then have a meat meal.^[78]
• The tablecloths should be changed between the two meals, and a new loaf of bread (if one is washing for both meals^[79]) should be served.^[80]
• Some do not wash for the dairy meal but rather eat it as a “Kiddush,” and then wash for the second meal.^[81] They should recite the bracha acharonah(concluding blessing) before beginning the meat meal.^[82]
• It is customary for Ashkenazim to wait six hours after eating hard, aged cheese before consuming meat.^[83] This includes Parmesan and Swiss cheese.^[84]
• In some communities it is customary to eat a dairy meal on the night of Shavuot and a meat meal on the day of Shavuot.^[85

.

• No preparation may be made for the (meal of the) second night of Yom Tov before nightfall.
• Women should wait until after nightfall before lighting candles.
• The candles should be lit from a pre-existing flame.
• When lighting, one should be careful not wave out the match, but rather one should put it down and allow it go out by itself.
• Those who say Yizkor should light a 24-hour candle at this time (from a pre-existing flame).
• The Bracha of She’hechiyanu is recited at candle-lighting by the women or at Kiddush by the man who recites the Kiddush.

• In many communities the Book of Ruth is read publicly (without a beracha)^[87]on the second day of Shavuot before the Torah reading.
• Chabad custom is not to read it publicly. It is read privately as part of the Tikkun. Sefardim and various Polish Chassidim also do not read Megillat Rut publicly.^[88]
• Many reasons have been given for the reading of this book on Shavuot. Several of them:
• Shavuot is King David’s birthday and Yohrtzeit so we read the book about his lineage.^[89]
• The Book of Ruth teaches us that the Torah is only acquired through suffering (i.e., voluntary relinquishing of earthly pleasures as personified by Ruth).^[90]
• Shavuot is a harvest festival, and so the Book of Ruth describes the harvest and how the poor were treated in the harvest season with sympathy and love.
• Ruth is the gematriyah of 606, which is the number of mitzvot we accepted when we received the Torah in addition to the seven Noahide laws.^[91]
• Some read Megilat Rut from a scroll and say a blessing before doing so.^[92]
• Ashkenazim recite Yizkor on this day.^[93]
• It is customary that those who are in mourning for the loss of a parent do not recite Yizkor during the mourning period (12 months). The Chabad custom is that they remain in Shul but do not actually recite Yizkor.^[94]
• The custom of Yizkor is to give tzedaka (after Yomtov) in memory of the departed.
• Chabad custom is that Av HaRachamim should be recited even by those not saying Yizkor.^[95]
• At the close of every Yom Tov, the Lubavitcher Rebbe would lead a farbrengen(inspirational Chassidic gathering) that included singing the songs associated with (or composed by) the Ba’al Shem Tov, the Maggid of Mezritch and all of the Chabad Rebbes. This would serve as a bridge between the holiness of the Yom Tov, and the mundane time of the rest of the year.